Madras High Court warns IAS officer of serious consequences if court orders not complied with on time

Madras High Court warns IAS officer C.N. Mahesvaran to comply with court orders promptly or face consequences.

The Madras High Court has warned Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer C.N. Mahesvaran, now serving as Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation, of serious consequences if he does not comply with Court orders strictly within the stipulated time.

Closing a contempt of court petition filed against the officer in 2019, Justice Mummineni Sudheer Kumar said, the official need not be punished now for contempt since the 2017 Court order had already been complied with though there had been a delay of seven long years.

“However, this court feels that the respondent should be warned not to act in future in the manner in which he acted in the instant case and to take all necessary steps to comply with the judicial orders passed by this court in future. In case, if any such negligence or lenience is noticed on the part of the respondent herein in future, the same would be viewed seriously by this court,” the judge wrote.

C. Murugan, an electrician in the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, had filed the contempt plea accusing Mr. Mahesvaran, the then Managing Director of TWAD Board, of having not complied with a 2017 court order to refix the petitioner’s pay and pension within four weeks.

The petitioner’s counsel M. Radhakrishnan complained that the court order was not complied with at all. It was only after the 2019 contempt petition was taken up for final hearing in June 2024 and on being prodded by the court, the 2017 order was complied with on June 24, 2024.

Concurring with the counsel’s argument on inordinate delay, the judge said: “Such a delay on the part of the respondent cannot be said to be reasonable... The same only shows the negligence and carelessness of the respondent in complying with the orders passed by this court... In all fairness, the respondent ought to have issued the proceedings like the one dated June 14, 2024 within the time stipulated by this court in the year 2017 or at least immediately thereafter.”